I’m back from the All-Star break; I was going to say that must make me an All-Star, but technically it’s the non-All-Stars that get the time off. Well then.
The trade deadline hits Thursday evening; I covered the impact of that in my previous article, so give that a readthrough before moving on. For this week I’ve got plenty of news to cover, including multiple key injuries and one notable trade. I’ll go with the usual approach: recapping that news, ranking available closers alongside some trade deadline targets, and providing a few new pickups for holds leagues.
(stats updated through Saturday, 7/26)
Closer News (by team)
ARI
The Diamondbacks received some rare good news out of their bullpen. Closer Shelby Miller received a second opinion following an MRI, and began a throwing program last Thursday. I don’t normally think of going 1-for-2 at the doctor’s office as “batting .500,” but the embattled Arizona bullpen will take what they can get.
It remains to be seen what Miller’s progression back to big-league games looks like, and he even suffered a minor setback due to some back tightness on Tuesday. In the meantime, Kevin Ginkel continues to look like the best bet for saves, and makes for a viable roto league pickup as we await news on Miller’s return.
BAL
I’m frustrated that I’ve committed to putting these in alphabetical order by team, especially since “ARI” seems like it’s always got something to say.
This week it’s “BAL” with the most significant bullpen news on multiple fronts. All-World closer Félix Bautista had begun to make waves as a potential trade target, but he was placed on the IL after experiencing right shoulder discomfort on Wednesday. It was Gregory Soto stepping into the ninth inning on Thursday, picking up the save in a 4-3 Baltimore win. However, Soto was promptly traded to the Mets on Friday, clearing the way for top setup man Seranthony Domínguez to take the job.
The Underperforming O’s (worst cereal ever) have had a forgettable season, and following Bautista’s injury and trades of Soto and Bryan Baker, the bullpen will certainly not be the savior. Fantasy-wise, though, this lack of options–with apologies to Yennier Cano–makes Dominguez an intriguing target, and he shoots up my closer rankings this week. We should get an update on Bautista’s status within the next few days.
COL
Victor Vodnik’s time as the Rockies’ closer lasted all of two days. Seth Halvorsen has bounced back from a five-run calamity on July 9th, picking up a pair of saves since the break across three strong appearances. He regains his spot as a deep roto league target for saves, with Vodnik again reduced to a fantasy afterthought.
LAD
Tanner Scott exited Monday’s game with left elbow inflammation, and landed on the IL on Tuesday. With Kirby Yates mired in a rough patch of his own, this leaves the excellent Alex Vesia as the Dodgers’ top high-leverage arm… for now.
The Dodgers are all but a lock to swing for some bullpen help before the deadline (David Bednar, anyone?), so I wouldn’t get too invested in Vesia. Still, it would be foolish to dismiss this as a certainty, and there’s no way to ignore the guy currently most likely to close games on one of baseball’s best teams. Vesia re-enters my closer rankings this week. As far as Scott, we may not see him back at closer again this season depending on how the deadline plays out.
MIA
This may be the last time you see the Marlins here, as I’ve given up trying to proclaim a closer in Miami. For a brief glorious stretch it seemed Ronny Henriquez might run away with the job, but it’s clear that he’s entrenched in a fireman role. All three of Henriquez, Anthony Bender, and Calvin Faucher have notched a save since the break.
For our purposes, Henriquez continues to be an elite option in save+hold leagues, with Bender a quality play as well; Faucher is largely waiver wire material. If it’s simply saves you’re looking for, it’s a three-sided dice roll on any given week.
Saves (rankings <60%-rostered Yahoo)
- Daniel Palencia – CHC (54%)
- Camilo Doval – SF (58%)
- Robert Garcia – TEX (24%)
- Seranthony Domínguez – BAL (17%)
- Alex Vesia – LAD (23%)
- Matt Strahm – PHI (21%)
- Seth Halvorsen – COL (8%)
- Ronny Henriquez – MIA (39%)
- Kevin Ginkel – ARI (9%)
- Grant Taylor – CHW (10%)
Trade Deadline Stashes: Griffin Jax (MIN), Dennis Santana (PIT), Lucas Erceg (KC), Jordan Hicks (BOS), Pierce Johnson (ATL), Dylan Lee (ATL)
Injured List: Félix Bautista (BAL), Shelby Miller (ARI), Tanner Scott (LAD), Blake Treinen (LAD)
Holds
Hoby Milner (TEX) (1%)
Hoby Milner is a name that’s been floating around this article for some time, with multiple watchlist appearances. His strong performance in July finally bumps him into the featured section; since the calendar turned, Milner has yet to allow an earned run, picking up four holds across ten appearances. A recent injury to setup man Chris Martin and the release of Luke Jackson have nudged Milner even higher in the Rangers’ bullpen hierarchy, behind only Shawn Armstrong and closer Robert Garcia. In fact, Milner’s 14 holds to date already lead the team.
Milner has been quietly solid for a few years running now, first with Milwaukee and now Texas. His current SIERA of 3.30 is actually on the high end since 2021, and while Milner’s strikeout numbers are merely adequate, his contact metrics border on elite. His hard-hit rate of just 35.3% comes with a groundball rate of 54% and a mere .238 wOBA allowed.
Consistent, underrated, and rising the bullpen ranks, Milner makes for this week’s top new pickup for holds leagues.
Pierce Johnson (ATL) (1%)
Pierce Johnson isn’t a “new” name to this article either, even being featured as a target for saves while closer Raisel Iglesias was on a downslide. Similar to Milner, I’m featuring him now for two reasons: recent performance, and an intriguing team context.
First, performance: Johnson has allowed just one earned run since June 7th. Across those 14 outings he notched three holds, striking out 16 batters while walking just three. It’s been a good year overall for Johnson, whose surface-level ratios (2.63 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 9.80 K/9) have been a boon to those rostering him.
Second, the situation: the Braves are likely sellers at the deadline. This could mean one of two things: either Iglesias is traded, bumping Johnson’s usage up a bit and adding some saves to the mix, or Johnson himself is traded, putting him on a better team with more opportunities to hold leads. The latter is the real hope here, as being a Brave has not been kind to relievers in the counting stats department – Dylan Lee leads the team with just nine holds this season.
Regardless of how the deadline plays out, Johnson’s value–particularly in save+hold leagues–is on the rise, and should only improve with any move the Braves may make.
Eduard Bazardo (SEA) (1%)
Now here we’ve got a truly new name to discuss.
Eduard Bazardo got off to a rough start this season; following a blowup on April 17th, his ERA was sitting at a monstrous 6.35. Since then? Across 42 innings, Bazardo has put up a 1.71 ERA with a sub-1 WHIP and a 41:18 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In his last five appearances, Bazardo threw 4.2 innings, surrendering just a lone walk while striking out five. He picked up two holds and a win over that stretch, as his usage in high-leverage spots continues to increase.
What lies below the surface is a mixed bag. The season-long numbers screen as mediocre: a 3.96 SIERA along with a middling 23.5% strikeout rate and a concerning 10.8% walk rate. To be clear, we’re looking at a deep-league target, and maybe just someone to monitor rather than run out and grab. Still, I’m not here to tell you about guys you already know; Bazardo is on almost no one’s radar, and I think that merits a mention here. If he can even somewhat maintain his recent performance, he’ll be a gem in any holds league the rest of the way.
